1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mounting assembly designed for fast installation and set up of a detection device, particularly such as a position switch, or an inductive, capacitive or optical proximity detector.
2. Discussion of the Background
Some detection devices are composed of an approximately parallelepiped shaped housing comprising a front face that acts as a detection face. These housings are provided with holes so that they can be fixed on an arbitrary support such as the frame of a machine by attachment screws, either directly or, for example, through an attachment bracket. The adjustment of the position of the detection face of this type of device is important because it determines its range and direction. The adjustment must be precise to guarantee that the device is efficient. Therefore, there are means making the adjustment on the support and/or the bracket, usually consisting of oblong attachment holes so that the position of the detection device along at least one axis can be modified before it is finally tightened to prevent it from moving.
Thus, at least part of the adjustment of the detection device with respect to the support and/or the bracket is made at the time that the device is installed. However, for example, when replacing a defective device, with this system it is necessary to restart the adjustment when a new device is put into place, which introduces many disadvantages related to the work time, machine availability, human skills, risk of errors, etc.
Therefore, it would be particularly useful if it were possible to replace one detection device by another, keeping a good attachment but without the need to readjust the position of the new device. It would also be useful to be able to install such a detection device as quickly as possible without needing any special tools.
This is the purpose of the invention that describes an assembly for the installation of a detection device composed of an approximately parallelepiped shaped housing provided with a front detection face, a back face, a first side face comprising a wire output, a stop side face opposite the first side face and located between two guide side faces. The mounting assembly comprises a removable mounting part that comprises an approximately rectangular attachment plate, a stop lip located on an edge of the attachment plate and comprising stop means capable of cooperating with corresponding means placed on the stop side face of the detection device, click fit means being provided cooperating with the corresponding means located on the first side face of the detection device, and elastic means applying pressure to the back face of the detection device.
According to one characteristic, the removable mounting part stop means comprise one or several elastic tabs cutout in the stop lip and cooperating with one or several corresponding notches positioned on the side stop face of the detection device. The click fit means on the removable mounting part comprise at least one elastic retainer located on an edge of the attachment plate opposite the stop lip, that can be used to lock and release the detection device.
The elastic pressure means on the removable mounting part are composed of at least one spring strip cutout in the attachment plate of the removable mounting part, used to fix the detection device in the locked position and facilitate its ejection in the released position.
According to another characteristic, the mounting assembly also comprises a fixed mounting part composed of a base plate fixed to a mounting plate, the base plate being designed to hold a removable mounting part by means of a mounting part/base plate attachment device and/or to support a detection device by means of several threaded attachment holes, and the mounting plate being designed to fix the mounting assembly on a support.